Girl on a swing, a man with his arms raised; folio 21 (recto) from the Madrid Album "B"
Original title: Girl on a swing, a man with his arms raised; folio 21 (recto) from the Madrid Album "B"
kurzbeschreibung
Made between 1795 and 1797 for Goya’s Madrid Album 'B', this sheet captures a woman on a swing being pushed by a man with both arms raised high. Drawn with brush and point of brush in carbon black washes on paper, it seizes an everyday moment full of movement.
Description
Two figures dominate: a seated woman on the swing and a man who drives it with outstretched, raised arms. She wears a long dress with a sash; he has a jacket with set-in sleeves and trousers. Arms, legs, and the slanted swing create clear dynamism. Faint outlines of further figures appear behind them. The layout is asymmetrical, directing attention to the interplay between the two main characters.
Context
The Madrid Album 'B' is one of eight sketchbooks Goya filled between 1796 and 1797. They came after a severe illness in 1792/93 that sharpened his interest in social and fantastic subjects. Drawings in this album often pick up scenes from Spanish daily life, which Goya observed with an ironic or critical eye.
Impact
The loose, sketchy stroke and strong contrasts of light and dark give the sheet a lively immediacy. The swinging motion and the figures’ gestures generate a playful tension that draws the viewer into the action. Because everything is limited to black and white and the brushstrokes are expressive, the drawing feels raw and spontaneous.
Technique
For this sheet Goya used brush and point of brush with carbon black washes on paper. The washed technique allows fine gradations of grey that suggest depth and movement. Broad brushstrokes alternate with precise tip lines – evidence of Goya’s confident handling of this medium.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)